Medicines
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Make sure you understand fully how and when medication needs to be taken, if you are taking responsibility for that yourself. It is very important to take your medication as it is prescribed to make sure it works properly for you.
There are various drug treatments available for JIA - some which treat the symptoms and others which treat the disease itself. Drugs that treat symptoms such as pain, swelling and stiffness include painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Drugs that treat the disease itself include disease modifying antiTNFs (DMARDs) and corticosteroids (steroids).
If you forget to take your medicine make sure you let your doctor or specialist nurse know and NEVER decide to stop taking your medication on your own without discussing your concerns about the medication with your doctor as it could negatively affect your treatment.
There are certain risks involved with taking some of these medicines, your doctor will explain these risks to you and make sure that you know what to be aware of.
If you do wish to stop your medication please do this with the knowledge and support of your doctor or nurse so you can monitor how you respond together just in case your arthritis might flare again and you may need to be seen early at the clinic.
Drugs like corticosteroids for instance can make a bout of chickenpox more severe or drinking alcohol while using methotrexate can make your liver more vulnerable to damage. It is also very important not to father a child or become pregnant while on methotrexate as it can cause damage to the unborn child. You can learn more about this further on.
Some medications can have side effects. You should know what kind of side effects your medication can cause and if you are experiencing any side effects you should talk about them with your doctor.
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Your doctor and specialist nurse will explain everything about your medication to you; what are the different types of medication used to treat JIA and which is right for you.
